Spoon Simple
Hot Pot (Home Style)
A communal Chinese feast — simmering spiced broth at the table for cooking thinly sliced meats, seafood, tofu, and vegetables. Perfect for gatherings and endlessly customizable.
Prep 45 min
Cook 1h
Total 1h 45m
Serves 6
Ingredients
Step 1 — Make the broth
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp doubanjiang
- 4 dried red chilies
- 1 thumb ginger (sliced)
- 4 garlic cloves (smashed)
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Step 2 — Proteins and tofu
- 1 lb thinly sliced beef (ribeye or brisket, frozen 30 min for easy slicing)
- ½ lb thinly sliced lamb (optional)
- ½ lb shrimp (peeled)
- 8 oz fish balls or fish cake
- 1 block firm tofu (cubed)
- 6 eggs (soft-boiled, optional)
Step 3 — Vegetables and dipping sauces
- 1 napa cabbage (cut into chunks)
- 1 bunch enoki mushrooms
- 1 bunch spinach
- 2 sweet potatoes (sliced)
- Fresh noodles or udon
- Sesame paste dipping sauce
- Soy sauce with chili oil and garlic
- Shaoxing wine with cilantro
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the broth
Combine broth, water, doubanjiang, chilies, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, Shaoxing wine, and soy sauce in a large pot. Simmer 30 minutes. Transfer to an electric hot pot or keep on a portable burner at the table.
- 2
Prep the ingredients
Arrange sliced meats, seafood, tofu, and vegetables on platters. Prepare dipping sauces: mix sesame paste with soy sauce and water; combine soy sauce with chili oil and minced garlic; mix Shaoxing wine with chopped cilantro.
- 3
Cook and eat
Keep broth at a gentle simmer. Cook ingredients in the broth — meats 30–60 seconds, vegetables 2–3 minutes, noodles last. Dip cooked items in sauces and enjoy communally. Add more broth or water as the pot reduces.
Nutrition per serving: 480 cal · 36g protein · 28g carbs · 24g fat · 4g fiber
For informational purposes only. Not medical or dietary advice. Verify ingredients for allergens, cooking times, and safe internal temperatures before serving.
